UPDATE FROM LOUISIANA

Citizens were asked to stay inside, off the roads, and to call 9-1-1 in the event that they needed rescued from their homes.

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I went to Whole Foods.

I needed groceries, and knew I would not be riding through any flooded areas by going to this store over others in the city. I made it home without incident.

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That was yesterday.

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This morning, it was still raining. It has been constant, and for the most part, heavy. There was a brief period last night of 60 mph winds.

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My neighborhood has the highest elevation in the city. At 8:00 am, the coulee looked like this:

The coulee is a concrete ravine that is usually dry. When it rains, the coulee collects the run-off. In a strong storm it will get about 1/3-1/4 that high and quickly flow, then go down.

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I can see the coulee from my front door. It is still this high.

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The two-day total of rainfall is, as of now, 17.03 inches. It is expected to continue with more rain this afternoon and another squall tonight. 😬

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This is unprecedented. And the thing about flooding is—there is nowhere to go. Interstates and major thoroughfares are closed. They're underwater.

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For now, I'm just eyeing the coulee and waiting. Calling friends and checking in with them. Making waffles. Watching the news.

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My kids want to play outside , but my son has seven inches of stitches in his leg and who knows what is in that water? One person found an alligator in their backyard floodwaters. For now we are making a battle scene with all the Legos.